PRESS KIT

VÖLUSPA DROPS THEIR FIRST SINGLE, "WINGS."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BROOKLYN — April 1st, 2018: Völuspa, a synth-driven, dream-pop project helmed by Kirsten Knick drops their first single, Wings. The track is accompanied by a music video directed by Ash Peters, a producer over at VICE.

Right from the first few measures, Wings casts a hypnotic spell of duality. From the embryonic warmth of a heart beat bass, to the haunting embrace of harpsichord keys. From orchestral climaxes to timidly pecked high-octave piano notes. These disparate elements weave into a cohesive and ethereal texture that’s rapt with an alluring tension. It’s as if Knick is tucking a lover into a warm, fluffy duvet. The collaboration between Knick and Eric Hoegemeyer (of Patti Smith fame) creates a sound that’s familiar and yet at the same time alien.

She’s a light to follow through a lucid dream, suggesting JuleeCruise on Angelo Badalamenti’s compositions but there’s arawness to her voice. Moments of unrepentant vulnerability thatcan flutter a heart with a change in pitch, like early Angel Olsen.It’s almost as if Knick is singing secrets from her diary behind alocked door. In essence, she is. Wings is about a struggle withaddiction and the hope and freedom that can be found on theother side. As Knick says, “I was just done living on the edge ofmisery. The edge represents change and the transition from darkto light.”

The video drives these themes home. The interplay of light and dark.Masked faces. Bad decisions and cleansing foot falls in the snow. Thelast shots are epic waterfalls and an expansive winter landscape,showcasing the beauty and power of nature and a panoramic view oflife. Contrasted with the small, surreal room of addiction, it’s aprofound statement of hope. This is a captivating and ambitious videobordering on a Twin Peaks remake directed by Ash Peters and shotby VICE cinematographer David Givens. There’s a larger story in thissample of Völuspa’s work, when looked at as a whole. That whichhaunts us can be beautiful. That which gives us warmth can also leadus astray. The bondage of addiction can lead to profound freedom.Pain is also an opportunity for healing. From a larger perspective, thepolarity of light and dark disappear into a glorious gradient of grey.And that’s where real life, true love and heartbreak live.

Völuspa recently played Baby’s All Right and debuted some new material to a large crowd for an 8 PM Sunday show. They’re quietly gaining momentum in Brooklyn and it’s easy to see why. As a genre dream pop goes through periods of stagnation and iteration. With Hoegemeyer’s synth-driven melodies and Knick’s vulnerable, angelic poetry, it’s like they’ve been here all along. Like a distant dream slowly pieced together throughout the day.

Bio

Völuspa is the moniker of Kirsten Knick, a Brooklyn-based performer. Bay Area born, she honed her sound in London performing with Spiritualized and Hot Chip. Knick makes the the sounds of lucid dreams and forgotten nightmares. Past mistakes and future possibilities. It’s a siren that speaks to the light that shines inside all of us. They’re a warmth that haunts you in the night.